Its track record of getting the job done in spite of the shortage of resources does not appear to have overtly influenced Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in allocating funds to the South African National Defence Force.

Defence and Military Veterans Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has been allocated R40.2 billion, just over R1.8 billion more than her predecessor got from National Treasury to make the military work.

The result is men and women in uniform will have to tighten belts and work smarter in taskings ranging from border protection through to continental peacekeeping, anti-piracy operations, disaster relief and humanitarian aid.

This was emphasised by National Treasury director general Lungisa Fuzile in the foreword to this year’s national budget. He wrote: “Departments and spending agencies do have to learn to do more with less. In the period ahead, improvements in outcomes have to come from qualitative improvements in the use of available budgets and other inputs”.

This has seen National Treasury allocate R40.2 billion to the uniformed branch of government service for the 2013/14 financial year with an increase of R2.4 billion budgeted for the next financial year rising to R45.1 billion in 2015/16.

On the positive side, acquisitions have not been entirely discarded by those in charge of the national purse strings. Much-needed new maritime patrol aircraft to replace the ageing and shrinking C-47TP fleet as well as new infantry combat vehicles are provided for in the medium term expenditure.

The bulk of the extra funding goes to border protection, with two more companies due to be deployed on the Botswana and Namibia borders; Operation Copper, the ongoing tri-nation anti-piracy effort in the Mozambique Channel, and South Africa’s latest continental deployment to the Central African Republic (CAR). R200 million will be spent on keeping the deployment there during the current financial year, with R215 million earmarked for the 2014/15 financial year. This deployment will last until 2018 in terms of an extended Memorandum of Understanding signed between CAR and South Africa.

Border protection and foreign deployments have been allocated an additional R715 million.

Another area where the SANDF will be more active is in maintenance and refurbishment of its bases. This programme started in 2009 and was the brainchild of current SANDF Chief General Solly Shoke. He took it upon himself to re-establish the military’s Works Regiment due to a lack of performance by the Department of Public Works.

After spending R862 million in that year, the allocated funding for base upgrades rose to R1.2 billion in the 2012/13 financial year and the current fiscal term will see R980 million go to making bases better places to live and work.

Refurbishment projects are underway at 2 Military Hospital; 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 21 SA Infantry Battalions; Air Defence Artillery School the Army Combat Training Centre; the Navy Training Unit and the School of Engineers.

Its track record of getting the job done in spite of the shortage of resources does not appear to have overtly influenced Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in allocating funds to the South African National Defence Force.

It's a shame that most of SA's Gripens are just sitting in storage...collecting dust.

Quote:

Maynier said that while the Gripen jets were supposed to provide the country with air combat capability, out of the 26 Gripen fighter jets bought, 10 or fewer were operational and there were only six qualified pilots and about 150 flying hours available to the entire 2 Squadron for this year. “The Gripen fighter jets are effectively grounded because the operating budget has been stripped to the bone,” Maynier said.
He added that one of the biggest scandals of the arms deal was that South Africa had bought military equipment that it could not afford to operate, and this was illustrated by the keeping of the Gripen fighter jets in long-term storage.
“It is imperative that the minister reviews the allocation of the operating funding to the ‘Gripen system’ in the SAAF,” he said.

It's a shame that most of SA's Gripens are just sitting in storage...collecting dust.

Actually they not coleting dust since they shrink rapte. And there is no current need for all our gripens. We only need enough for training purpose. Not like we have any threat what so ever SADC is very stabel and is a all so deffense block like NATO. All so this Cliam that we only have 6 pilots is incorrect. We have 6 pilots in 2 squdron but most instucters are all so gripen pilots. Case in point we sent 8 pilots to sweden last year

David meayer has a habit of blowing things out of porption for politcal gains. It is best to ignore him.

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you think you a real "bleep" solders you "bleep" plastic solders don't wory i will make you in to real "bleep" solders!! "bleep" plastic solders

He said 6 qualified pilots. That's different than 6 pilots. A monkey can be taught to fly, but to defend your country you need someone who can effectively fight, which you're not going to get if you can only afford 150 hours a year for 6 guys. The USAF is having the same problems.

He said 6 qualified pilots. That's different than 6 pilots. A monkey can be taught to fly, but to defend your country you need someone who can effectively fight, which you're not going to get if you can only afford 150 hours a year for 6 guys. The USAF is having the same problems.

No there are curently 6 qulfied pilots in 2 squdron. But there are others. Some in the reserve force others are working has instrictors.

Has I said mr David has a histroy of bending truth. I tend to ignor any thing he says.

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you think you a real "bleep" solders you "bleep" plastic solders don't wory i will make you in to real "bleep" solders!! "bleep" plastic solders

[QUOTE=Half Pint John;2494462]Six qualified pilots. Is that supposed to be an AF? Those working as instructors. are they not qualified?[/QUOT]

The 6 is the 6 qulfied in 2 squdron. There are a number of other pilots. Last year we sent 8 qulfied gripen pilots. Did we sumon 2 out of thin air and leave our country with out any pilots. It dose not take in account those at other units(normally has instructors), rersev force or on course.

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you think you a real "bleep" solders you "bleep" plastic solders don't wory i will make you in to real "bleep" solders!! "bleep" plastic solders

Actually they not coleting dust since they shrink rapte. And there is no current need for all our gripens. We only need enough for training purpose. Not like we have any threat what so ever SADC is very stabel and is a all so deffense block like NATO. All so this Cliam that we only have 6 pilots is incorrect. We have 6 pilots in 2 squdron but most instucters are all so gripen pilots. Case in point we sent 8 pilots to sweden last year

David meayer has a habit of blowing things out of porption for politcal gains. It is best to ignore him.

Nice sense of humor. Shrinkwrap...LOL!

IMO...long-term storage is not where they belong. If they will not be utilized...sell them and be done with it.

__________________

"Stand for the flag ~ Kneel for the fallen"

"A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer." ~ Bruce Lee

IMO...long-term storage is not where they belong. If they will not be utilized...sell them and be done with it.

It is the best way to describe the method used.

They may be needed in the but not right now. About 3/4 of the SANDF heavy weapons are in long term storage. It saves money and you only need enough to keep people trained. There is currently zero threat and non of our Heavy hardware are being used. Border patrol with a tank is expensive.

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you think you a real "bleep" solders you "bleep" plastic solders don't wory i will make you in to real "bleep" solders!! "bleep" plastic solders

Six qualified pilots. Is that supposed to be an AF? Those working as instructors. are they not qualified?[/QUOT]

The 6 is the 6 qulfied in 2 squdron. There are a number of other pilots. Last year we sent 8 qulfied gripen pilots. Did we sumon 2 out of thin air and leave our country with out any pilots. It dose not take in account those at other units(normally has instructors), rersev force or on course.

So if you have a number of other pilots then YOUR total of six is just plain wrong. Even if the number is 20 or thirty pilots that doesn't make much of an AF when the aircraft are in storage. If they are not flying and training on a regular bases they are not worth very much.

__________________"Ask not what your country can do for you"

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.

So if you have a number of other pilots then YOUR total of six is just plain wrong. Even if the number is 20 or thirty pilots that doesn't make much of an AF when the aircraft are in storage. If they are not flying and training on a regular bases they are not worth very much.

Only half are in storage. There is still enough aircraft to train on.

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you think you a real "bleep" solders you "bleep" plastic solders don't wory i will make you in to real "bleep" solders!! "bleep" plastic solders

The SAAF has been butchered pretty bad. FY2011/2012 they had 250 hours allocated for the fighter fleet. That's not per pilot, that's for the fleet of 26!!! In 2010 they had 10 pilots trained with 3 more planned for 2011. So following that pattern they would have around 19-22 now, though the total number is secret. It's so bad that they have put Gripen cockpits in Hawk trainers so the pilots can transition back to the Gripen when needed. In the meantime the Gripens are being mostly flown by the A Dart testers.

The SAAF has been butchered pretty bad. FY2011/2012 they had 250 hours allocated for the fighter fleet. That's not per pilot, that's for the fleet of 26!!! In 2010 they had 10 pilots trained with 3 more planned for 2011. So following that pattern they would have around 19-22 now, though the total number is secret. It's so bad that they have put Gripen cockpits in Hawk trainers so the pilots can transition back to the Gripen when needed. In the meantime the Gripens are being mostly flown by the A Dart testers.

You have the aircraft to train on, but no money to fly them.

That is correct. Never said it was good but there are more than 6 pilots. I all so sucspect those 12 gripen have been in storage for a long time.

Has far has I rember the hawke where all ways planded with a gripen cockpit. The path hawk was built to train piolts to fly the gripen. The PC-7 is the regular trainingh aircraft that all pilots start on.

I all ways wonderd? How effective are ground bassed simultors these days.

Personally I see it has a problem but we need more meduim transport aircraft and a new MPA aircraft over the gripens. There is zero air yhreat to SA. Most other african airforces are far worse off than us or don't even have a true airforce. The bigest threat to our air force is Angola and they are a ally.

But we really need a new MPA (1944 dakotas are well old) and 9 C130s are not enough. It was foolish of us to scrap the C160 fleet before the A400Ms arrived and now they not arriving. Though maybe basef d on the trend of USAAF of sending C17 to evey one of our major air shows we could get a small number of them through in a muilty purpose MPA/transport and we set.

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you think you a real "bleep" solders you "bleep" plastic solders don't wory i will make you in to real "bleep" solders!! "bleep" plastic solders

They may be needed in the but not right now. About 3/4 of the SANDF heavy weapons are in long term storage. It saves money and you only need enough to keep people trained. There is currently zero threat and non of our Heavy hardware are being used. Border patrol with a tank is expensive.

You're right, there are no immediate threat to SA. I remember reading an article last year about SA intel officials faking threats to increase the spy budget. They paid people to make fake threats against the government.

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"Stand for the flag ~ Kneel for the fallen"

"A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer." ~ Bruce Lee